Please contact the
Director of the USDA’s Eastern Regional Office to insist that she take
immediate action against Vanderbilt University for continuing violations
which caused the suffocation deaht of a pig. The USDA MUST issue a fine!

NASHVILLE, TN – Vanderbilt University has been found by government
inspectors to be negligently guilty of the death of at least one
animals, leading a national research watchdog organization to describe
Vanderbilt as a "career criminal" and demanding the government issue the
largest fine allowable under the U.S. Animal Welfare Act.

"Clearly the situation at Vanderbilt is very serious..this lab has a
long-term pattern of meaningful violations which seriously impact the
health, well-being, and the very lives of the animals in the
facility...I insist that you take the most severe action allowable under
the Animal Welfare Act and immediately begin the process of issuing the
largest fine allowable under the Animal Welfare Act against Vanderbilt
University," said Michael Budkie, executive director of the
Cincinnati-based SAEN in a letter to the USDA office in Raleigh, NC.

SAEN said Vanderbilt was cited for multiple violations of federal law in
September, one of which was directly tied to the suffocation of a pig.

Vanderbilt was also cited in the failure to properly anesthetize a
monkey used in research, and had several serious violations of the
Animal Welfare Act in 2012, including a traumatic injury which led to
the death of a primate, depriving animals of water, and more violations
under the code for the Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee.

Vanderbilt's 2011 inspection report also showed multiple non-compliances
under the code sections for the Institutional Animal Care & Use
Committee, as well as Animal Handling. Several of these non-compliances
were also relevant to depriving animals of water. Finally, said Budkie
in his letter to the USDA, Vanderbilt was fined in 2010 for earlier
violations of the Animal Welfare Act which were relevant to the deaths
of six animals.

"Obviously, Vanderbilt is a repeat offender, bordering on being a career
criminal in terms of non-compliance with the Animal Welfare Act. The
treatment of animals at Vanderbilt illustrates attitudes of carelessness
and negligence that must be punished so that meaningful changes can be
made," said Budkie.